Closer
by Clavis Salomonis
Summary: Scarecrow is poisoning the streets and the mob isn't happy about it. Spring Healed Jack is stalking the Narrows, but the Bat has higher priorities. Daniel Bridges has secrets and the fact that he is a murderer isn't the one he really needs to hide. After all if you go around killing the Master of Fear's men, you're bound to get noticed. Scarecrow/CraneXOC Post BB Pre TDK
1. Stranded in this Spooky Town

Stranded in this Spooky Town

**Disclaimer: I do not own Batman.**

**This is set post Batman Begins, but before The Dark Knight. **

The night was cool and crisp with the first breath of autumn. Street lamps sucked the colour out of the roads of Gotham and replaced it with a sickening orange glow.

Daniel Bridges looked over his shoulder for the thirteenth time that minute. Little hairs stood up on the back of his neck and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed.

He pulled his jacket collar tighter around himself and broke into a light jog. It was half two in the morning and the northern streets of the Narrows were almost completely deserted.

He breathed in deeply and turned a corner before-

He saw the blow before it came, the movement just catching the corner of his eye. Daniel dodged to the side, the fist just scraping the skin of his cheek.

He rebalanced quickly and faced his attacker. It was a large, thick jawed man; he could see the sweat on his brow, the throbbing jugular vein.

_With all that blood._

Daniel smiled; it seemed the prey had found the predator.

The thug lunged for him again and Daniel pirouetted cleanly out the way, even though his opponent was physically more impressive he was slow on his feet. Daniel backing into the alleyway, away from the main road.

"You little shit!" He snarled at Daniel and pulled a knife out from his jacket and swung at him.

Daniels moved out of the way neatly, expecting his opponent's moves and grabbed hold of his wrist when he tried to lunge again. Daniel twisted his wrist and kicked his knee with all the force he had.

The man let out a strangled yelp and dropped the knife.

Daniel didn't care where this guy had come from, he didn't care why he had attacked him. All he cared about was the blood, the hot, thick, nearly black blood that came from an artery. So-

The thugs fist collided with Daniel's chest, kicking all the air from his lungs. He gasped and let go of his wrist before staggering backwards regaining his footing. Enough was enough.

He flicked his left arm, a foot long metal pole, like a truncheon, came from his sleeve and he grasped it in his hand, pressing a button on the side. A blade sprung from the tip.

Daniels enjoyed the look of panic that gleamed the man's eyes before he leapt at him, shoving the blade inches into the space below his collar bone as he jumped onto the man, bringing him crashing to the ground. He let out a grunt of pain as his back collided with the pavement.

Daniel stuck the blade in deeper and twisted it as he pinned the man's arms with his knees.

He opened his right hand quickly, clicking the mechanism in his glove that sprung the razor sharp blades along his thumb and forefinger. He opened and closed the fingers like a pair of scissors. The metal guarding made the movement slower than it should have been but added an extra force that Daniel did not possess.

While the man beneath him was still dazed Daniel placed his hand over his neck and slowly closed. Red-hot blood bubbled up and flowed from the wound as the blades cut in.

The man tried to struggle, his limbs flaying his eyes wide, Daniel only just noticed how darkly brown his eyes were. He pressed his weight down harder and gripped tighter. He felt the wind pipe give way, blood spurted out, pooling on the floor.

Daniel moved his hand away and snapped the blades back in. he watched in a perverse euphoria as the man spluttered, struggled as his life slipped away.

The blood flowed, thumping rhythmically with the faltering beat of the man's heart. Daniel felt his nerves calming, the dark sicknesses fading back to its cave, satisfied with the sacrifice.

Slowly he stopped moving and became perfectly still. Daniel breathed out deeply, watching the man's still open dark brown eyes. They ever did close like they did in the movies. He cocked his head to the side and eased off the blood, pulling his blade out of the corpse.

As he stood, he only just realized that his coat and trousers were drenched in blood, slowly cooling sweet, sticky blood. Daniel felt lightheaded.

He clicked the blade back into the metal pole and was about to turn when he heard footsteps. And sirens.

"Freeze!"

Daniel ran deeper into the alley, jumping over the body on the floor.

"I said freeze!" He heard the footsteps follow and twisted the metal pole, it sprung out, now nearly as long as he was tall.

He thanked whatever gods there were that he knew these roads, knew these alleyways so that he could move about them blind.

As the high brick wall that separated alleys loomed he skipped, then jumped, using the metal pole like a high jumper and flung himself over the wall.

He landed in a roll and sprung up. He made a quick check for injures and when he found none he snapped the pole back to its normal size before he broke into a sprint. Just because the police couldn't follow him directly didn't mean they wouldn't seal the whole area off.

Doctor Crane filled his syringe with clear liquid, enjoying the scream of the subject strapped to the table behind him.

He turned dramatically and let the sneer festering on his lips to spread across his face. He walked slowly towards the table and-

There was a loud knock at the door. Jonathan scowled, there weren't meant to be any interruptions.

He marched to the door and flung it open. A slightly panicked looking guard faced him.

"Yes?" He snapped.

"Sorry to bother you Doctor Crane-"

"Then _why_ bother me?"

The young guard swallowed, his eyes darting into the room as the scream increased. "It-it's Fabry sir, he's dead."

"Dead?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow, not that he cared too much. Fabry was a useful asset, but not unexpendable. He and three others had been out collecting 'test subjects'.

"Yes sir, the police have his body."

Crane could see the young guard screaming, sweat on his forehead as he peeled the skin from his face-

"Sir?"

Crane's attention snapped back to reality.

"There's nothing that can lead them here." Jonathan half shrugged. He wondered how fast the toxin in the syringe would work if he plunged it into the guard's eye.

"No sir."

**It wasn't a fucking question.**

Jonathan nodded briskly, about to return to the room when he paused.

"How did he die?"

"Spring Heeled Jack sir," the guard shifted his weight nervously. "He killed again."

Jonathan grinned like a demon.

"Afraid of him?" He asked, gripping the needle as tight as he could, readying himself for the screams that would soon follow. After all, he had told the guards that there shouldn't be any interruptions.


	2. Stoplights are swaying

Stoplights are swaying 

Daniel took a sip of his scotch; he had been nursing the drink the whole night.

"And I don't see how it got there anyway!" Peter cackled, John chiming in with him. Daniel smiled politely. Peter and John were friends of Sherry and they had bought a friend of a fiend of theirs plus a couple of girls they hoped to be shagging by the end of the night.

Daniel had taken an instant dislike to them, so had Jim, Emily and Dillian who were friends that he had known for some time. Jim worked with Daniel and Emily had lived next door to Jim before she moved in with Dillian.

Sherry was the only person he had known from childhood, they had both been eleven when they met. Daniel's older brother and Sherry's father had been in the same 'line of work'. Both men were now dead.

"Seriously, you can say whatever you what about this _fucking _Bat! But the truth is he's nuts!" John yelled, drunk enough to be making a nuisance but not drunk enough to be in a quiet stupor. Daniel wanted to smash John's head against the table.

"As nuts as that nut house Doctor!" Peter took another gulp from his pint/ "Bat destroyed the trains and he didn't seem too bothered about stopping that fear gas in the Narrows, only one it got to _central Gotham!_"

Daniel stiffened, he wished that Jim or Emily or Dillian hadn't left earlier in the evening, he felt suffocated by the stupidity he had been left in. but he didn't blame them, he would have gone too if Sherry hadn't been there. He didn't want to leave her with this scum she seemed to enjoy the company of.

"Let's not talk about that eh?" Sherry said, giving Daniel an apologetic look. He gave her a small smile.

"Why the fuck not Sher'?" Peter said.

"Yeah Sher', why not?" John added.

"I just don't-"

"Don't be dumb Sher'." Peter all but snarled. Daniel clenched his jaw.

"The Bat Man was trying to stop the gas," Daniel said, he spoke quietly but there was an iciness to his tone that silenced the other two men. "The train just happened to pass through the Narrows first." There was silence for a moment.

"Ohh, la-de-dar!" Peter sneered. "In love with the Bat are we?" Daniel gritted his teeth and gave a small smile, imagining running him through with a knife.

Sherry looked at him in a concerned sort of way, her bright blue eyes sparkling. Daniel said nothing and let the two idiots talk about other things.

The night the fear gas had been released, Daniel had been walking past Line Street as the main pipe burst, exposing him to an overdose of the toxin. He had been in a coma for five days, the doctors said it was a miracle he didn't have any permanent brain damage. The only physical side effect had been that he had lost his sense of taste and smell.

After what seemed like an age, they finally left the bar, leaving Peter and John to continue to poison their livers.

Daniel held Sherry firmly by the waist, her arm draped around his shoulders as she tottered on her high heels. She was very obviously drunk.

"I tell you Dan', I'm fine." She slurred. "I am."

"Sure Sher'." He grinned at her.

"I don't- don't need you to walk me h-h-home."

"I know." Sherry's curly peroxide blonde hair blew gently in the breeze, she laid her head on his shoulder, even in her high heels she was shorter than he was and Daniel was not a tall man. He didn't look particularly strong wither; it seemed like a miracle that he could hold Sherry up. His baggy clothes didn't help his lean physic; they only made him look scrawnier.

Sherry dipped to the side, falling over her own feet, but Daniel held her fast.

"Woopies!" She yelled, laughing loudly as they made they way down the street.

Sherry lived in a block of flats in the Narrows on the seventh floor, luckily the lift was working.

Daniel had dragged her to her door, he had already taken her keys out of her small handbag for her and was about to open the door when she suddenly pushed herself against him.

Daniel over balanced and Sherry managed to push him so that his back was pressed up against the wall.

"Aw Dan." She slurred, if he could still smell he would have smelt the stench of vodka on her breath. Sherry leant in to kiss him.

Daniel grabbed her shoulder and darted out of the way, being careful not to let Sherry fall over in the process.

She opened her eyes slowly, confused.

Sherry had confessed her little crush on Daniel almost two years ago and, while he was flattered, he did not feel the same way. He simply wanted them to stay friends.

Sherry's door suddenly opened, her flatmate Louise stuck her head out.

"I thought I heard voices."

"Lou-Lou!" Sherry yelled, the previous event forgotten.

"Shh, Sher'." Louise nearly fell as Sherry bear hugged her. "Neighbours will complain again."

"Fuck 'em!"

"Sher!"

"I SAID FU-" Louise put a hand over her friend's mouth and Sherry started giggling.

"Thanks for bringing her home Dan'." She smiled at him.

"It's nothing. I hope your feeling better." Originally Louise had met to go out with them that night.

"I am thanks." They said their good-byes and Daniel made his way out of the building. It was nearly one in the morning and he felt a comfortable tiredness beginning to settle in his bones. The days after a kill were when he was at his most content.

He looked up at the clouded sky, dyed a browny orange by the street lamps of Gotham. Tonight would have been a perfect night to hunt but the urge had gone back to its cave, its stomach full and bloated.

The piercing sound of his mobile bought Daniel out of his thoughts. He rummaged around in his pocket before pulling it out.

"Hi Block." He said.

"Danny! My man, you 'Kay?" Block was an excitable lay about who liked to spend his time in some drug filled delusion. He did, however, have a way of sniffing out extra jobs.

"I'm good, you?"

"Yeah good, my man, good. Listen, I got a nudge about a Job by Christian, cash in hand, my man, my main man, cash-_in_-hand, yeah? I was thinking just up your street."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, so forty-sixty split in favor of me yeah?" Block laughed like a paranoid maniac. "I'm joking D, joking, fifty-fifty because I know you have my back. I know you have my back. You in?"

Daniel smirked. "Yeah, I'm in."

"Cool, cool. Meet me at mine and I'll take us there for the 'interview'."

"Now?"

"Now."

Daniel shrugged. "See you in ten." He hung up.

Luckily Block didn't live far. Daniel jogged to his house. Block was waiting outside on the steps, smoking.

"D-Man!" Block yelled, putting out his cigarette and hugged him. "You up for this yeah? Let's go."

Block moved towards his car, Daniel followed and got in shot gun.

"Who's the job for Block?" Block sniffed, looking on his mirrors.

"What my man?" He started the car and pulled out.

"Who's the job for?" Block grinned maniacally.

"The mob." He said eyes wide and gleaming.

The drive took about twenty minutes in which Daniel was subjected to very loud music.

They pulled up outside what looked like a derelict industrial building in the west of the Narrows.

Block knocked on the side door and two large, thick skulled men greeted them. For a moment Daniel tenses, readying himself for a fight but Block mumbled a series of nonsensical words that Daniel assumed was a password and mentally recorded it.

They were lead through the building into what seemed like its very heart.

The thuds left them in an office style room, Daniel assumed they were waiting outside. He didn't have long to look around as the door opened again. A blonde haired man in a blue suit entered, all fake smiles and dark eyes.

"Please," the blonde haired man motioned with his hand. "Sit down gentlemen."

Block sat eagerly. Daniel smiled a little at the word 'gentlemen' and sat slowly.

The blonde haired man stood in front of them, leaning against a wooden desk. He folded his arms and looked smugly at them.

"I'm so glad you could make it, my name's Mr Fleming." His smile unsettled Daniel; it felt like two predators circling each other, testing weaknesses. He was up to something. Block grinned stupidly next to him.

"The job's simple, we need some _products_ moved, quickly and discretely. Five hundred each."

"Yeah, sounds great, I'm in." Block said, blinded by the thought of money.

"When?" Daniel said.

"Tomorrow, be here at ten pm."

"Where to?"

"You know the club, 'All Aces'?"

Daniel smirked; of course there was a catch. "That's in central Gotham."

"Problem?" Fleming raised his eyebrows.

"Nah, man, nah." Block shook his head quickly, glancing at Daniel. "It's all fine."

Daniel gritted his jaw and nodded, they would have to be careful. If he didn't need the money so badly he would have walked out then and there.

"Good." Fleming said, clapping his hands together. "So, can I interest you both in some product?"

Block jumped up, nodded furiously. "Yeah, man, yeah, sure." Daniels shook his head.

Fleming motioned towards the desk and Block bounded over like a deranged dog, he slurped up the neat white lines up.

Fleming watched Daniel, cocking his head to the side, but said nothing. Daniel stared him down, refusing to look away or even blink.

His attention suddenly snapped to Block who let out a sickening scream. He collapsed, flailing on the floor like a wounded animal.

Daniel jumped up, knocking his chair over in the process and ran to Block. He leant over his friend, recognizing the wide; blood shot eyes, the panicked struggling.

"What the fuck?" He snarled.

"It seems out supplier has been dosing the drugs. We want you to take them to 'Aces' so we can try to distill and salvage what we can."

Daniel leapt over the desk, grabbing hold of Fleming by the lapels. "You _knew_ his would happen?"

Fleming sneered. "Yea. And he'll learn not to sample product that isn't his on a job. Boys!"

The door swung open as the two thugs from earlier marched into the room. Daniel scowled and let go of Fleming as the blonde haired man dusted his hands away.

"Apologize." Fleming said.

"What?"

"Apologize."

Daniel swallowed, glancing from the men surrounding him to Block on the floor. "I'm sorry."

"Try harder."

"I'm sorry." He said louder.

"Good buy." Fleming patted his face. The blonde haired man loomed over him at six foot where as Daniel was five foot seven at best. Without warning, Fleming struck him sharply across the face. Daniel when with the blow and fell to the floor, pretending to be caught unawares.

"Don't touch what you can't afford." The thugs chuckled. Daniel stayed on the floor for a moment, resisting the urge to kill him. He couldn't risk it with Block in the room.

"Take them back to their car." Fleming said. "I'll see you both tomorrow at ten."

A thug hauled Daniel to his feet, the other dragged the screaming Block.

Daniel was pushed roughly out the door of the building as Block was all but thrown. Daniel stared at the thugs until the door was shut before going over to Block. The man was still half screaming, flailing his hands to fight imaginary demons.

"Sorry about his Bock." Daniel put his hands over his mouth, the other over his nose and cut off his friend's air. He held on as Block struggled until he passed out and then let go quickly. Daniel checked he was breathing before picking him up in a fireman's lift and carrying him to the car. He knew from experience that it was just better to be unconscious than awake through the fear toxin's hold.

He drove his friend home and put him on the settee in the living room, not wanting to carry his friend up stairs.

Daniel sighed. Already knowing what he had to do. It was going to be a long night.

He drove back to the building, his coat collar pulled high.

He walked to the side door and knocked before standing to the side. Daniel flicked his left arm, his metal pole sprung out of his sleeve. He pressed the button on the side, the blade springing forth.

The door opened and one of the thug's heads stuck out. Before he could turn as see him, Daniel lunged forward, sinking the blade into the side of the thug's neck and flicked it to the right, cutting through the muscle. The thug's head lolled backwards, half hanging off as his body fell to the ground.

Daniel heard the other guard yell and run forward, going for his gun. Daniel jumped into the doorway and outstretched his left arm, which was holding the pole and blade. The thug didn't have time to stop before he impaled himself on the knife. Shock filled his eyes, blood spat out of his mouth. He tried to gurgle out a word and Daniel clocked open his Finger blades before closing his hand around the man's throat.

He watched as the light disappeared from the man's dark green eyes and tried not to get too distracted by the blood.

The thug slumped and Daniel let him fall, pulling out his blade in the process.

He breathed deeply and put his weapons back into place before dragging the first guards body into the building and shutting the door.

Daniel wiped at the sweat on his forehead with the back of his right, gloved hand. He made his way down the corridor to Mr Fleming's office. He moved quickly and quietly, meeting no one else on the way.

The door was closed and Daniel pressed his ear to it, listening intently.

"I know, fucking Crane!" Fleming yelled. There was a pause. "The whole shipment, yes!" Daniel smiled like a vulture as he realized that Fleming was on the phone and most probably alone. "I don't care who, just sort it. I've been told any expensive, just get someone who'll finish him, no questions asked!" He slammed the phone down and Daniel slammed the door open.

"What the fu-" In one fluid motion Daniel released and extended his metal pole and blade, bringing it to its full length, as he ran into the room. He imbedded it in Fleming's left shoulder.

The man yelled and tried to reach for his gun with his right hand.

Daniel pulled out the blade and shoved it into Fleming's right upper arm, dragging the sharp knife down to his elbow joint.

Fleming screamed as blood exploded from the wound, dying his suit.

Daniel pulled the blade out using both hands and pushed the pole back to its normal size. Fleming fell forward onto his desk, his right arm flailing around. Daniel guessed that he must have severed a nerve.

"You little fuck!" Fleming screamed, tears in his eyes as he tried to keep himself standing. Daniel rushed forward and jumped onto the desk. He grabbed hold of Fleming's hair.

"Don't speak to what you can't afford." He pushed the blonde haired man in the face. Fleming fell to the floor and Daniel jumped on top of him, pinning his bleeding arms with his knees before he flicked open his finger blades.

Daniel enjoyed seeing all Fleming's smugness replaced by complete terror as he traced the man's jaw line with the blades.

"Please, look I have money-"

Daniel grinned. "I'm sure you do." He closed his hand around the man's neck. It calmed him as the screams turned into a gurgled red fountain.

He breathed deeply. "That's so much better."

He got off the body slowly and looked around the room.

As he glanced at the corpse again he realized he was probably lucky that he could no longer smell, once dead, a body had a terrible habit of emptying its bowels.

He searched the room quickly and took whatever money he could find before heading back to the car. He opened the boot and took out a can of gasoline.

There was a sudden noise, a footstep and Daniel turned quickly, but saw no one. He could not shake the feeling that he was being watched as she walked back to the building.

It had been a late night, but luckily Daniel had the afternoon shift so it had not been that bad. He had split the three thousand dollars he had found fifty-fifty wand left Block's half on his coffee table with his car keys and a note saying the mob job was off. He had showered at his own flat, luckily not that blood stained for once, before cleaning his friend's car of any residue of his escapades prior to returning it to Block. It was only then; as dawn began to break, that he walked home and slept.

His alarm had not been welcome. He dressed quickly and jogged over to the corner shop in seventh. The sun was shinning and the street was thick with people.

Daniel grabbed a paper and a chocolate bar in the corner shop. Me Peterson, the shop owner, smiled at him, eyeing the chocolate bar. "Quick lunch?"

Daniel grinned. "Breakfast."

"Ah breakfast."

He handed over ten dollars. "Keep the change!" He called as he jogged out of the shop. He could hear Mr Peterson polity protesting. There had been plenty of time when the shopkeeper had over looked Daniel's incorrect change. He was certain that without Mr Peterson's kindness he would have starved long ago.

Daniel flicked through the paper as he walked to work. He was mostly interested in the Bat, but read, with interest, an article about the appointment of a new DA. He chewed his chocolate bar slowly as he came to a piece concerning the burning of an old industrial building in the west Narrows that night. Three bodies had been found inside. Police were treating the deaths as suspicious.

He carried on glancing through until he saw another article: 'The Search For Spring Heeled Jack Continues.' He almost stopped dead but managed to regain himself and continued walked. 'Spring Heeled Jack is still at large, having claimed his fourth victim last Wednesday. The assailant evaded the police by 'flying over walls'. So far he has only stuck in the Narrows, and the question begs, would the police response be greater of this villain did not stick to the poorer parts of Gotham?'

Daniel frowned a little, half amused, half annoyed. Spring Heeled Jack was a stupid nickname; he had no idea why the papers had decided to name him after Victorian folklore.

The 'flying over walls' comment made him want to giggle, it was funny how wrong things could become, just like Chinese whispers.

'Fourth victim' annoyed him, reminded him of his carelessness but also showed what the Bat Man's presence was doing to help Gotham, help free the police from fear of the mob. The bodies of Daniel's victims had never been found until the Bat Man appeared. He'd never had to run from the police either. Daniel liked to think he only killed people who deserved it, some more than others. But he didn't like to muse on it too much.

The last comment upset him a little, the Narrows weren't his hunting fields because they were poorer. They were his killing grounds because it was home.

He got to work with five minutes to spare. Jim waved at him from a till, Daniel grinned back and went through the 'Staff Only' door.

He punched in his time card before storing his coat in his locker. His metal pile and the mechanism that produced it from his sleeve were hidden under his long sleeved shirt. His finger blades and glove however were tucked in a secret pocket in his trouser leg. He shoved the last of the chocolate bar in his mouth.

The small supermarket he worked in was quiet so he took the opportunity to talk to Jim.

"Hey." He jumped up to sit next to the till.

"You alright?" Jim grinned at him.

"Yeah, tired."

"Sherry keep you up all night?" Daniel gave him a look. "Just a joke." Jim chuckled. "But seriously, I have no idea why you guys aren't together."

Daniel shrugged. "She's just not my type."

Jim shook his head. "What _is_ your type? I mean you've been single for as long as I've know you."

"Maybe it's men."

"Then go and shag some men for Christ's sake." He laughed and shoved Daniel in the ribs. Daniel grinned and handed him the paper.

"Here, I've finished with it."

"Thanks." A customer began placing items onto the conveyor belt and Daniel jumped down.

"I'm gonna stock some shelves, bell if you need a hand."

"Will do." Jim called. "Oh and sorry for leaving you with those dickheads yesterday."

Daniel waved a dismissive hand. "It's only fair that one of us got to escape."

His shift ended at half six and Daniel walked slowly home, craving his bed and sleep.

He walked up the four flights of stairs to his flat, the life was always broken and even though he couldn't smell anymore, they always reminded him of the stench of piss.

He unlocked the door and switched in the light. He took a few steps and froze as the shut behind him.

Sensing another person's movement he spun on his heels, the metal pole and blade springing from his arm to stop an inch from the piercing blue eyes.

He recognized the intruder instantly, his face had been plastered all over the papers since the attack on Gotham. Doctor Jonathan Crane didn't even flinch as the blade came near him; he just stared at Daniel with a slightly amused look.

Daniel's chest rose and fell in a hurried panic as he stared the doctor down. Daniel blinked first.

"What are you doing in my house?" He finally said.

"I could say the same to you," Crane sneered, ignoring the knife in his face. "Because this flat is rented in the name of Daniel Bridges…" There was a pause. "And he died twelve years ago."

Author's Comments: Thank you to those you have followed this story! I'm sorry that this update doesn't have much Crane in it, I'm just setting the scene, there will be lots more Crane from the next chapter on!

**Also 'Sherry' isn't the Sherry from Jonathan's past, just a little reference :)**


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